HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIR MON!

I feel sad. Mr. Mon Enriquez just died. I know you my blockmates don’t know him because he taught at the bm dept. Let me tell you a little thing about him though. I have never met anyone who valued people more than he did. He was, or technically his daughter was, my client in college when I did the sponsors thing for the publication. That month I was having a hard time looking for companies who’d buy spots from us. Unlike TLS who was able to sell even to huge companies like Smart, Plaridel was having a hard time introducing itself to sponsors. When you say The Lasallian, it’s always been understood that it is the official publication of DLSU. But when you say Ang Pahayagang Plaridel, you’d have to explain the whole thing that TLS and APP co-exist, the former the English publication while the latter in Filipino. Moreover, you’d get various responses like, “Sa Bulacan ba yan?” or “Hindi ba Lasallian ung publication ng Lasalle?” Yet in that year I was able to surpass the amount the previous sponsors manager brought in plus an ex-deal of Plaridel ID laces which were what the publication staffers needed for their Press IDs (not to mention some food GCs). And I got touched when I heard the lower batch thinks the lace was beautiful and that it added more credibility when worn. Now they’re asking where they can get it. I would have said, “Paghirapan nyo yan noh…” but I don’t know these people. I can’t believe too much generation’s passed that I don’t even know the present EB anymore!

When I arrived at the publication office, somebody told me Mon Enriquez called. Call back raw ako. And when I did, I was glad to find out that Tubbies needed to advertise in Plaridel. That was what Sir Mon’s daughter’s business was, a coffee shop. But he was the one coordinating with me. Sir Mon and I met perhaps just 3-4 times – when I gave him the contract, when he gave me the payment, when I asked him if he wanted to renew, and when I visited him just out of nothing. And from then on he always gave me discount coupons for Tubbies. Actually he just texted me the contents of the coupon and told me to just present the text to the store! From then on, he never failed to greet me on my birthday. 2003, and then last year… and then this year he texted me using a different number.

“Sir Mon, nag change po ba kayo ng number? Eto na ba new # nyo?”

“Ah hindi jam, un parin ung number ko! 5291946! Birthday ko yun!”

Grabe, all this time yun pala birthday nya, and never ko sya grineet! I promised myself I’m gonna greet him next year sa birthday nya. Ok I won’t forget! May 29, 1946… noted.

But who will receive my text now? Will his # still be working by then? Will I still be getting a greeting on my birthday next year?

Scary if that happens. But I do wish that however I greet him on May 29, 2006, he would still be able to receive it. Pero syempre, ok lang wala nang reply! =)